Daniel Leighton: Visual Artist
Based in Los Angeles, Daniel Leighton is a prolific contemporary artist and a widely acknowledged pioneer of iPad painting. His powerful, archetypal works grow out of recurring visions that return again and again in his practice. Leighton places great value on feeling—both emotional and physical.
Because illness has meant facing his own mortality since childhood, he lets the changes in his physical and emotional state act as trusted guides as he builds his emotional landscapes. Using minimal lines and bold colour, he captures intricate states of the human psyche, inviting viewers to acknowledge and embrace a broad spectrum of emotions.
Leighton also works with Augmented Reality (AR), a technology that brings together his filmmaking and computer-programming background with his painting. Through the Daniel Leighton Art + AR app—which he developed in late 2013 and early 2014—audiences can discover new dimensions of his AR-enhanced artworks.
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Daniel Leighton's practice brings together painting, filmmaking and programming, showing how traditional and digital media can meet in one body of work. His AR-enhanced pieces invite audiences to look beyond the canvas and explore his emotional landscapes from new angles.